Do You Know Enough About Taking Prescription Medicines?

Learn how to better manage your medicines by taking this quiz.

1. Older people have a greater risk for medicine interactions.

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Not only do people usually take more medicines as they age and develop some health problems, but as people age, body changes can affect the way the medicines are absorbed and used. Changes in the digestive tract affect how quickly a medicine is absorbed. If your body weight has changed, that can affect how much medicine you need and how long it remains in the body. The circulatory system can slow down, which affects how quickly medicine reach the liver and kidneys, and then are excreted from the body.

A. True
B. False

2. Tell your healthcare provider and pharmacist about all the prescription medicines, supplements, alternative remedies, and all over-the-counter (OTC) medicines that you take.

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Be sure to include OTC medicines, vitamins, minerals, herbal remedies, eye drops, and skin products such as creams and ointments. This can help you avoid possibly dangerous interactions between medicines or with supplements.

A. True
B. False

3. Be sure you can recognize your medicine by shape, color, size, and name.

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If it's hard for you to tell them apart, your healthcare provider can possibly prescribe them in pill forms that are more distinctive. If you have trouble remembering to take your medicines, use a calendar or pillbox. But remember, to be as safe as you can, keep all your pills in their original containers. This means all prescriptions and OTC pills. Keep in mind that generic medicines may look completely different from what you had been taking.

A. True
B. False

4. Don't refill prescriptions until they run out.

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Refill maintenance prescriptions in advance to avoid running out. This is especially important if you take daily medicines for high blood pressure, a heart condition, or diabetes. Ask your healthcare provider to write your maintenance medicine prescriptions with refills, so you don’t have to go back to the provider’s office every time you need more of a prescription.

A. True
B. False

5. Discuss any changes in diet with your healthcare provider.

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Your diet can influence how your body uses medicines. For example, eating a very low-fat or high-calcium diet can alter how well medicines work. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider how much caffeine (coffee, tea, and cola) you consume, if you drink alcohol, and whether you smoke. These substances also can affect how well your medicines work. You may need to take some of your medicines on an empty stomach. Others may be best taken with food.

Bring your pills in their original prescription or OTC bottles to each appointment that you have with your healthcare providers. Ask your provider to check on how well a medicine that you regularly take is working. Do you still need to take it? Are there any lifestyle changes you can make that might allow you to take less of the medicine or even stop taking it altogether? If your healthcare provider wants you to keep taking certain medicines, do not stop without your provider’s OK. A yearly review is also good for your medicine cabinet. Look through it and discard any medicines that have expired.

A. True
B. False

7. If possible, purchase all your prescription medicines at one pharmacy.

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Potentially dangerous medicine interactions are more likely to be detected if one pharmacist fills all your prescriptions.

A. True
B. False

8. It's safe to take someone else's medicine if you have the same condition.

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Never take someone else's medicine. Taking someone else's medicine can mask your own symptoms and make your condition more difficult to diagnose. Remember that your age, weight, other medicines and doses, and other medical conditions are unique to you.

A. True
B. False

9. Follow extra precautions when taking medicines at night.

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Turn on the light and make sure you're taking the right medicine. If you need to take more than one type of medicine at the same time, don't keep them by your bed, to avoid confusion. If you must keep them there, and you don't have small children or pets in your home, put the pills you need in a little saucer or cup on your bedside table.